Freedom of Choice for Women when it comes to family planning

The month of August is extra special, especially for Indian women, how you may wonder. While 15th August is India’s Independence Day, 26th August is Women Equality Day. This Independence Day, let’s ask ourselves a thought-provoking question – Are women of our country truly free to make their own decisions?

Unfortunately, ours is still a largely patriarchal society where women are often side-lined when it comes to taking crucial decisions such as family planning.

Family Planning in India

While India was one of the first countries in the world to launch a nationwide program for women and family planning in 1952, it would be safe to say that we are still a long way from reaching our targets. Sadly, the women of our country are still plagued with problems such as socio-economic pressures and lack of knowledge.

•   Women are Denied the Freedom of Choice: When it comes to family planning, most women are still denied the choice of freedom. Pregnancies are thrust upon them without considering whether they are physically, emotionally, mentally ready for it.
•   Repeated Pregnancies:Blame it on lack of knowledge or social pressures; we, as a country, face an acute problem of repeat pregnancies among our women. The lesser gap between pregnancies means women are not physically, mentally, and emotionally ready for the next child. Issues like anaemia are becoming a common occurrence which leads to further health challenges.
•   Lack of Access to Contraception: Male condoms are the most popular way to avoid pregnancy in India as of now. However, this often leaves the choice of pregnancy to men in the society rather than women.

What Can We Do to Empower Women?

Unwanted 21 Days, regular contraceptive tablets aim to empower women to make a choice about pregnancy instead of depending on men. As a society, we must empower women and offer them the freedom of choice.

•   Education for Women: Education breeds freedom. The initiative ” Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” by the Indian government aims to empower women through education. We must work towards helping women and building a society of educated and free women before we look towards family planning for women. 
•   Awareness about Contraception:Sadly, the idea of contraception is still limited to condoms. While they work excellently well, it is essential to make women aware of other safe contraceptive methods such as oral pills, which helps women decide about pregnancy.
•   Key Government Programs: There are many government programs around family planning and population control. It’s important to ensure these programs reach the last mile by making everyone aware of the benefits of these programs.

Building a Free and Safe Society for Women

It’s not just our responsibility but also our duty to ensure we provide a safe environment for the women in our country- one where women are free to make a choice regarding something as essential as family planning without fearing any backlash from society. Let’s break the shackles this Independence Day and empower the women in our society to be truly free.

Disclaimer: This blog solely intended for educational/informational/awareness purposes and is not a substitute for any professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your doctor/healthcare professional before acting on the information provided on the blog. Reliance on any or all information provided in the blog, is solely at your own risk and responsibility. Mankind Pharma Limited shall not be held liable, in any circumstance whatsoever.